Research in the School of Energy and Resources focuses on both the upstream and downstream development of energy and resources, covering a wide range of disciplines - from engineering and economics to environmental science and law.

Santos support for UCL surpasses $2.5m

University College London (UCL) students have today visited Santos’ Port Bonython hydrocarbon processing plant, commemorating passing the $2.5m scholarship funding mark from the company.

UCL, one of the world’s top five universities, opened its Australian energy and minerals campus in 2010, with the significant support of Santos.

Today 16 Masters students visited Port Bonython, including four who have received support from the Santos Scholarship programme.

UCL Australia chief executive David Travers says the scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, is one of the most prestigious energy scholarship programmes in the world, having attracted more than 1000 applications since 2010.

To date, 24 students have been awarded a Santos Scholarship to study at UCL (Australia), going on to work for some of the world’s most significant energy companies including Santos, Chevron, Woodside and BHP Billiton.

“Graduating scholars have delivered research in many areas of energy and mineral resources, from nuclear fuel leasing to hyperspectral imaging for resource exploration,” Mr Travers says.

Today’s visit to the Santos Port Bonython processing plant is part of a three-day Energy Technologies field trip taking in seven sites stretching from Adelaide to Whyalla.

Among the 16 students on the trip are 2014 Santos Scholarship winners: Cristina Rocca of Italy; Toby Patterson from Australia; Toby Kenward from Britain and Szabolcs Vagvolgyi of Hungary.

Toby Patterson, 25, has previously worked as a geologist with Schlumberger and Origin Energy, and says he decided to return to study to build on his technical knowledge in exploration and production and get an understanding of other energy-related areas such as economics, policy and law.

He already has dual Bachelor of Science (Geology) and Commerce (Corporate Finance) degrees from the University of Queensland.

“I was attracted to this particular degree at UCL Australia because it is very unique, offering a great balance of academia and industry exposure through guest lectures and research,” Mr Patterson says.

“I found other programmes on offer were too narrow, focussing on only some aspects of the industry and lacked practical application to the studies.

“Studying at UCL will help me to gain a thorough knowledge of every aspect of the energy and natural resources industry, improve my research skills and take away good relationships with industry professionals.”

ABOUT UCL

Consistently ranked in the world’s top five best universities, UCL established its first overseas campus in Adelaide in 2010. UCL (Australia) now includes the UCL School of Energy and Resources, Australia, the UCL International Energy Policy Institute and an office of the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

UCL was founded in 1826 and counts 21 Nobel Prize winners among past and present alumni.

Ironically, two of Adelaide’s streets were named after members of UCL’s original council. George Grote, an English classical historian, and Henry Brougham, the First Baron and Vaux who eventually became Lord Chancellor.